Microfilming of records and other information is a wellaccepted practice. In many applications, microfilm is stored in roll form, while in other applications, microfilmed records are in the form of fiche which comprise individual film sheets surrounded by a rigidifying border. Such sheets are subdivided into frames identifiable by a particular "row" and "column" designation by which a particular frame can be selected for viewing above a light source by appropriate X-Y movement of the fiche.
To increase the capability of an information-retrieval system based on a microfiche format, it is further known to employ a plurality of such fiche in a container or cartridge and to preselectively withdraw a desired fiche for viewing from the cartridge. Such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,124,260; 3,754,814; 3,092,144; 3,690,753; 3,442,581; 3,713,535; and 3,528,735. Various techniques, including magnetic attraction, mechanical picker arms, and other arrangements are suggested in these various prior patents for withdrawing the preselected fiche from a cartridge housing a plurality thereof. Such arrangements, however, are relatively complex and, consequently, expensive and, in addition, have the added drawback of requiring that the preselected fiche be completely withdrawn from its associated cartridge during the viewing process, thereby making it difficult to reinsert same into the cartridge after the viewing is complete. (See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,742 which requires the blowing of fluid into the cartridge to separate the remaining fiche sufficiently to permit the reinsertion of the fiche which has been withdrawn therefrom and other prior art techniques which require electrical apparatus to nullify the static electricity effect present in the cartridge when it is desired to reinsert the fiche after viewing.)